Apparently being agressive, mean spirited & socially isolated is stressful and unhealthy for baboons.  When I heard this I had two reactions:  ’Well, duh!’ & ’Am I suppose to feel sorry for them?’  If their stress is so close to human stress as the news & researcher suggests then they too could benefit from our first session of ‘Life the greatest show on earth’ where we offer a taste of the discipline of Biblical meditation.  When my PIER Group tried the session’s meditation a phone rang, dogs barked, and loud cars drove by leaving one group member to comment afterwords, ‘I guess it takes some practice.’  Her statement was so true, meditation like all spiritual disciplines takes practice!  The more you practice meditation the less stress you will have and the more relaxed you will become.  But, the main reason to meditate is NOT stess relief!  Meditation, like other spiritual disciplines connects us to God on a deeper, more intimate level.  We meditate to be closer to God!  Stress reduction is an extra bonus.

Did you also notice that being socially isolated contributes to stress?  How about that, meeting with your PIER Group is a stress reducer!  Serving others will also reduce your stress.  This may seem counterintuitive-focus on yourself and you will increase your stress, focus on others and you will reduce your stress.  So, think about our community for a moment.  What needs do you observe within the five mile radias of our HB campus?  This can be a tough question.  Our community is much more in touch with and public with our ‘wants’ than our ‘needs’.  My PIER Group mentioned the homeless (those living on the street and those losing their homes), divorce, and even that our city is very noisy.  What community needs has your PIER Group discovered?